A guide to our Post-Results Services: What we can offer you

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10/08/2015

Results days are almost upon us and, if you’re an exams officer, it’s a good time to think about the post-results services you may need. We offer lots of different services, and some have varied closing dates, so it’s worth taking a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with what we can offer you, what you need to tell us, and by when!

We’re keen to make things as simple as possible for you and I know it can often feel like there are endless rules, regulations and forms surrounding post-results services! I hope the information here – and on our website – will show the different routes available to you. If you still have questions then we’re always happy to help.

Key dates and deadlines – All enquiries about results (EARs) and missing and incomplete result (MIR) requests need to be submitted by 20 September 2015 (except if you’re requesting an EAR priority service 2, this needs to be submitted by 21 August 2015). Priority service 2 is only available for GCE A Level and Level 3 Principal Learning qualifications and is particularly handy if you’ve got candidates who are heading off to university and need to know their grades as soon as possible. We’ll prioritise your request which means less waiting time, and less uncertainty, for your students. I’ve also put together a table of all the access to scripts (ATS) key dates and deadlines below.

Deciding on a post-results service – There are quite a few services to choose from! However they’re designed to allow you to select the best possible approach should you need to query results or request more information from us. The JCQ Post Results Services Booklet is helpful if you’re not sure which one you need. We’ve also produced a handy one-page information sheet which lists all of our post-results services; this can be found on our website.

Our charging policy – We’ve tried to keep our charging policy as simple as possible, for a full list of charges please see our fees list.

Missing and incomplete results (MIRs)

If your candidate’s results are missing, or a results indicator has been incorrectly applied (shown as an X, # or Q on their statement of results ) then you’ll need to submit a missing and incomplete results (MIR) request by 20 September 2015. If you need any help understanding what these indicators mean then take a look at our brand new guide Understanding Results Indicators or have a peek at the results pages on our website. Guidance on submitting an MIR can also be found on our website.

Late Certification

Once results have been issued, you might want (or need!) to make a late request for a subject grade, for one or more candidates, known as a ‘late certification’. There’s no charge for this service, except for GCSE Short Courses (see our fees list for details). For full details of how to submit a request, see our website . More information on late certifications can be found in Section 12.4 of our admin guide. Late certifications can’t be submitted after 20 September 2015 so, after this date, you’ll need to submit requests in the next available series instead, unless the terminal rule applies (in which case, please contact us).

Access to scripts (ATS) request

With a priority and non-priority service available for access to scripts (ATS), you should be able to meet the needs of all your candidates. For ease, both services can be requested via Interchange . Why not have a peek at our website – you can find full details of how to submit a request, and what you’ll receive from us. I’ve summarised the deadlines for ATS requests here:

Enquiries about results (EARs)

For a full list of all the different services we offer, please see our website . Different services have different turnaround times so be careful you don’t miss the deadline for the service you want! A full list with all the details can be found on the JCQ website . We’ve updated our own website to offer better support for you – information on how to submit an EAR can be found here . You can also find details of how, and when, you’ll be notified of your EAR outcome.

Candidate consent for EARs – Don’t forget that for any EAR (except Service 3) you need to make sure that candidate consent has been obtained. This is because the outcome of an EAR may result in a grade change so it’s really important that your candidates are aware of, and understand, potential outcomes before an EAR is submitted; otherwise a change in grade could come as an unwelcome surprise! An example of a candidate consent form can be found on our website. By submitting your online application, you’re confirming candidate consent has already been obtained.

Submitting an appeal

If you still have concerns following the outcome of an EAR you can appeal against it. Don’t forget this must to be done in writing within 14 days of receipt of the outcome and must be submitted by the Head of Centre. The JCQ Guide to the Awarding Bodies Appeals Processes contains lots of useful information and it also contains an ‘Application for an Appeal’ form (pages 15–18) which can be submitted to us instead of a letter. Please send appeals to our Appeals Team appeals@ocr.org.uk

You may also find the JCQ Post Results Services booklet useful; this contains further details about the appeals process.

I hope the release of results in August goes smoothly for all of you and that this blog post provides some useful hints and tips, should you need to request one of our post-results services.